Tell BC Premier: Deny mining permit in Skagit Headwaters

WILD NW #293: It’s time for British Columbia to stop a mining proposal in the heart of the Skagit Headwaters. Join us in taking action!

This week, we joined more than a dozen First Nations, Native American tribes and conservation and recreation groups in placing a full-page ad in the Vancouver Sun calling on British Columbia to deny a mining permit in the headwaters of the Skagit River.

This follows organizational comments we submitted in April, and more than 500 Washingtonians taking action by contacting elected leaders through our May alert. Our senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and seven Members of Congress responded by calling on B.C. Premier John Horgan to deny the mining permit, but now we need your help to ensure that he does.

Use our simple form to send a message to Premier Horgan and his staff!

Wrong Mine, Wrong Place

The company proposing to mine in an unprotected area of the Skagit Headwaters, Imperial Metals, was responsible for the infamous Mount Polley mine disaster of 2014, which spilled more than 2.6 billion gallons of toxic sludge into the Fraser River watershed, one of the biggest environmental disasters in Canadian history.

The risk of such a disaster in the Skagit, home to Puget Sound’s healthiest remaining runs of wild salmon and steelhead—vital food for southern resident orca whales as well as cherished resources for Native American nations and other local communities—is simply unacceptable.

Join us in speaking up for the Skagit Headwaters!

The so-called “Donut Hole” of unprotected lands between British Columbia’s Skagit Valley and E.C. Manning provincial parks is also recognized as important habitat for North Cascades grizzly bears, spotted owls, bull trout and many other species of concern.

In addition to wildlife values, the mountains, forests, lakes and streams of the Skagit Headwaters provide clean drinking water and recreational opportunities for a growing number of Canadians and Americans who seek peace and refuge from the noise and bustle of our ever-growing Cascadia region.

Learn more from our Canadian partners at Dogwood on their new webpage www.SavetheSkagit.ca

Thanks to the tenacious advocacy of more than 50 Canadian and American organizations, tribes and First Nations, media coverage is pouring out from outlets including the Vancouver Sun and The Narwhal, and the heat is on for Premier Horgan to block this risky mining project in this priceless transboundary watershed. Please join us in saying NO!

It’s clear that the dangers of mining in such an internationally important watershed as the Skagit are of enormous concern to affected communities on both sides of the border. We call on the B.C. government to prioritize those well-founded concerns and the irreplaceable cultural, fish, wildlife, recreational and quality of life values over the ill-conceived proposal to mine the Skagit Headwaters.

Suggested comments to Premier Horgan

Subject: Please Deny Imperial Metals Giant Copper Mine

I am writing in opposition to the permit application by Imperial Metals to open industrial mining operations at the Giant Copper Property within the sensitive Skagit Headwaters. Please deny this permit and put a stop to mining, logging and road-building within the unprotected “Donut Hole” in the upper Skagit Watershed.

The priceless ecological and cultural values of the Skagit Watershed have been recognized for decades, notably through the High Ross Treaty of 1984. The approval of Imperial Metals’ permit application will violate the spirit and intent of the High Ross Treaty, the creation of the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission, and the stated opposition of indigenous nations and conservationists on both sides of the international border.

The so-called “Donut Hole” of unprotected lands between British Columbia’s Skagit Valley and E.C. Manning provincial parks is also recognized as important habitat for North Cascades grizzly bears, spotted owls, bull trout and many other species of concern.

It’s clear that the dangers of mining in such an internationally-important watershed as the Skagit are of enormous concern to communities on both sides of the Canadian/US border. We trust that the BC government will prioritize those well-founded concerns and the irreplaceable cultural, fish, wildlife, recreational and quality of life values over the ill-conceived proposal to mine the Skagit Headwaters.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

FOLLOW OUR WORK PROTECTING THE INTERNATIONAL SKAGIT HEADWATERS ON THIS WEBPAGE.